The Importance of Being AHNest

I could have crawled to Manhattan faster than the R train carried me, but the inspiration of this afternoon far outweighed the inconvenience. You don’t need me to tell you that Priscilla Ahn sings like an angel (and plays the harmonica, ukulele, and guitar like one too); tens of thousands of people know that. Her words refreshed and uplifted me as much as her music. She lives the mantra of being who you really are, and doing what you really want to do. She did that, and stays true to what she thinks is right, even when other people were saying, “why don’t you do it this way.” I really admire people like that, and always love it when they prove that they were right and the people saying “why don’t you do it this way” were wrong.

At least I like to look at them as wrong, but I guess the truth is that their way could have worked too, (for them), but the most important thing in any discipline is to do what you think is right for you. You usually can’t get behind something if you’re not feeling it. Nobody else can live your life for you, and you’ll never know if it was right or wrong for you until you try it. Whether it’s right or wrong, either way, you’ll eventually have to do something next.

I’m much longer in the tooth than Priscilla, and her presence today reminded that I too was less fearful and more devil may care than I am now. Although some of that fearfulness that creeps in with age has greatly extended my lifespan, and I recognize that it comes naturally with the slings and arrows life throws our way the longer we live it, people like her remind me that we can choose how much we let it rule us, and that perseverance always wins out. I hear that message in practically everything I read and in every conversation I have. Several of those conversations were the other folks in the studio audience at LIVEatFYI today, and that says a lot of the environment and the people who fill it.

The environment Paul Kontonis and the rest of the For Your Imagination team oozes possibility, creativity, and independent spirit. What a breath of fresh air! Even the plants looked happy and well taken care of there! It was my pleasure to be a part of it this afternoon, and I greatly appreciate them including me in this fun and inspiring event.